Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are all the rage with investors looking to diversify their portfolios in a rocky market. But are they necessarily a safer bet than the good old buy-a-property-and-rent-it-out approach?

Tenant screening is an important step toward all rental agreements, and doubly so for rent-to-own properties. The tenant is, after all, the exit strategy for the investor. So, finding that right tenant for this type of investment and maintaining a good relationship is key.